New Products & Services

Elna Lightning Protection

Lightning strikes can cause serious damage to boats.

For several years now, the damages caused by lightning strikes on yachts have been increasing. Reported incidents, up to and including total losses, have tripled and experts expect the numbers to continue to rise. ELNA GmbH, based near Hamburg, Germany, offers a lightning-protection system that large yacht owners have already had installed on the masts of their vessels. Among others, the Marine DDCE has been delivered on a Swan 115, a Baltic 146 and a 43-metre Royal Huisman.



The Marine DDCE system, manufactured by Dinnteco in Spain and distributed exclusively in Europe by ELNA, prevents the occurrence of lightning within a protective radius of up to 328.08’ (100 m) by means of a patented system. This means that the so-called upward streamer, which is necessary for the main discharge, can no longer occur. This reliably prevents direct lightning strikes to the yacht. The unit only requires sufficient grounding. No power supply is necessary.



With a weight starting at 5.4 lbs. (2.45 kg), the device made of stainless steel can also be installed on sailing yachts from approximately 45’ (13.72 m).

The patented DDCE actually deflects lightning, preventing a direct hit.

New Approach

"Until now, motor and sailing yachts have not been in the focus of attention when it comes to lightning protection, because even if lightning is discharged, damage is often caused by the constructional conditions of yachts. With the Marine DDCE, direct lightning strikes to the protected structure are avoided by 98%. This is the first time that an effective solution has been developed for lightning protection on yachts,” said Leif Schick, Managing Director of ELNA. "The DDCE system has already been protecting buildings for many years with amazing results. With the Marine DDCE we can now offer a device explicitly designed for the requirements and harsh conditions at sea."

This diagram provides an idea of how the concept of DDCE works.

Pantaenius' yacht insurance specialists also welcome the new offering. "Incidents of lightning strikes on yachts have increased sharply in recent years," knows Holger Flindt, Head of Claims at Pantaenius. "Not always but very often a direct or indirect lightning strike means a considerable danger for people and material. In such a case, a properly installed lightning protection system such as the DDCE system not only protects against damage and injury, but also against any excess in the event of a claim."

While it won’t protect you from a lightning strike, it will let you know lightning is coming and tell you how far away it is. Check out the Talos Lightning Detector…https://boattest.com/talos-lightning-detector.